Jokes about the pretentiousness of those of us who prefer vinyl records have grown so common it’s possible to argue those making such jokes are now more annoying than their targets ever were. That said, if, like myself, you advocate for the advantages of this music format, you might want some facts you can deploy in your defense when faced with such mockery. After a while, telling people “Vinyl just sounds warmer to me” might lose its power as an argument tactic.
Luckily, when someone claims your love of vinyl is just a hipster act, you can respond with something truly powerful: science and research. As it turns out, academics and scholars have completed a few studies whose conclusions can help you better explain why you think vinyl is the superior format for enjoying music. I can’t promise you’ll win anyone over to your side when you share any of these findings, but they might at least help you better appreciate your own love of vinyl records.
Collecting vinyl records can help you feel more connected to your music
Music isn’t just background noise for many of us who love this form of art. The music we listen to is often a core element of our identity. Research shows it may be more likely to have this effect when we purchase our music in physical media formats rather than streaming music via platforms like Spotify.
In the paper “Physical ownership and music streaming consumption” for the Journal of Business Research, psychological researchers discuss how buying a vinyl record differs from streaming that same record. With a vinyl record, you have an artifact through which you can signify your love of a particular band or artist to others. This may boost the degree to which you associate music with your core identity, as it becomes a physical object through which you can express your tastes and interests.
Purchasing vinyl records also involves tasks that can deepen our investment in the music we listen to. It’s easy to treat music as disposable when you can quickly pull up an album on a streaming app. Research shows that if you spend time visiting a store, tracking down a vinyl record, making a purchase, and finding a spot for that record in your collection at home, the music can take on a deeper meaning for you. This can affect how you enjoy listening to it.
Vinyl records offer a sense of ritual
Playing a vinyl record offers a different experience from streaming a tune
In a paper for the academic journal Music & Science, researchers studying the listening habits of classical music fans asked them about the various formats they prefer when listening to music. Among those who listened to vinyl, one of the common reasons they cited for preferring vinyl was the sense of ritual it offers. The fact that they consider vinyl to sound better than other formats was the only reason that ranked higher in participants’ responses.
When only a few random physical media snobs talk about the “ritual” of choosing a record, removing it from the sleeve, and placing it on a turntable, it may be possible to suggest that they’re exaggerating this aspect of the vinyl experience. However, when researchers find that a significant portion of vinyl fans specifically choose the format because of this element, it’s harder to roll your eyes at.
Have you ever noticed how a meal can seem to taste better based on surrounding elements that don’t have anything directly to do with the dish itself? Plating, overall atmosphere, and other such qualities can add a ritualistic layer that elevates the entire meal. The same idea applies when listening to vinyl records. Because listening to a physical album naturally requires more steps and setup than listening to streaming music, the ritual is an inherent part of the listening experience. For many, this makes the overall experience more enjoyable.
Vinyl forces a sense of engagement
Vinyl may genuinely change how you engage with the music you listen to
Okay, even if someone accepts that vinyl records offer a ritual that Spotify doesn’t, some might still struggle to understand how that translates to greater pleasure when listening to music. Per a doctoral thesis on “the cultures and practices of record collecting,” the ritual aspect may force someone to slow down when engaging with music. This can directly influence the extent to which they fully pay attention when listening to it.
According to the thesis, other aspects of vinyl contribute to this advantage. For example, vinyl records often come in sleeves featuring striking artwork. It’s fairly easy to overlook the album art when listening to music on a streaming app. When you have to remove an album from its sleeve to listen to it, you may take more time admiring the art. This can cause you to take more time and care when listening to the album in general, which may translate into an enriched overall listening experience.
Basically, the act of putting on a vinyl record forces you to slow down and focus on the music you’re playing. In this state, you may be better able to absorb the nuances of the music. The process forces you to treat what you’re listening to as something other than, again, mere background noise.
Don’t doubt your love of vinyl
You’re not imagining the pleasure your records bring
Defending your preference for vinyl against accusations of pretentiousness and snobbery doesn’t need to be as deflating an experience as it can be. In the past, you might have struggled to thoroughly explain why you chose to listen to vinyl, not because you were lying, but because you didn’t have the research to explain what you were experiencing.
These points should help. They show that collecting and listening to vinyl affects how we engage with music in very real ways. As it turns out, putting on a record might truly be superior to pulling up a Spotify playlist. Now you can explain why.
